A New Hampshire teachers union and several parents and teachers filed a federal lawsuit attacking what they called the ‘divisive concepts statute,’ though no such law exists in the state, NH Journal reported. The actual anti-discrimination law explicitly allows teaching U.S. history on the issue of race.
The report pointed to a basic problem with the filing, according to NH Journal.
The New Hampshire branch of the American Federation of Teachers joined a handful of parents and teachers in a federal lawsuit Monday against “ divisive concepts statute.” Only one problem: New Hampshire doesn’t have one.
NH Journal
It described how heavily the suit leaned on the disputed phrase.
The 50-page lawsuit filed in the United States District Court in Concord — which often reads like a political campaign flyer — uses the phrase “divisive concepts” 103 times, even though the “divisive concepts” bill never passed the legislature.
NH Journal
The suit also relied on material with no role in state law, NH Journal noted.
The lawsuit also quotes from legislation that was never passed, as well as screenshots of social media posts by private organizations like Moms for Liberty, which are not named in the suit and have no role in New Hampshire’s education system.
NH Journal
A state Board of Education member said the suit missed the law actually on the books.
“It’s not shocking to me that there’s a lawsuit, but it does shock me that the lawsuit filed completely overlooks the actual legislation that was passed,” said Ryan Terrell, the only Black member of the state Board of Education.
NH Journal
House Majority Leader Jason Osborne offered a blunt assessment. As quoted by Jason Osborne:
They must have filed this lawsuit in the wrong state,
NH Journal
The NH Journal report described what the actual law does and does not say.
The actual law does not contain the phrase and explicitly allows for the teaching of U.S. history on the issue of race.
NH Journal
Read the full story at NH Journal.
